Kryptonite
by Lady Tisala
Summary: Fortuna was really smiling down on Agent Tyler - not. Not only did she need to go undercover AGAIN, but with that.. that.. THAT man! He made her burn, in a very not-comfortable way. Rose just wanted to go home and forget she ever met John Smith. AU, all human.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello!**  
**This is my first Dr Who fic, and I'm not really sure what I'm doing. I'm not a native english speaker, so all mistakes are my own.**  
**And of course, I don't own anything or make any money by writing this.**

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**Chapter One**

_In my darkest hours I could not foresee_  
_That the tide could turn so fast to this degree_  
_Can't believe my eyes_  
_How can you be so blind?_  
_Is the heart of stone, no empathy inside?_  
_Time keeps on slipping away and we haven't learned_  
_So in the end now what have we gained?_

**Within Temptation - Our Solemn Hour**

Agent Tyler was a chameleon. Mostly so, because no one expected her to be anything else than a young and clueless girl. They'd be surprised to know about the steel within her, the strength in her core and they'd not expect those big, dark eyes to see all that they saw. Of course, she often used her looks to her advantage when it suited her – to get information, to enchant someone, pretending to be everything she wasn't. She was still young and pretty, just not stupid. No, she was rather clever, but men rarely looked that far, which, in her line of work, could be both an advantage and a disadvantage. Snickers behind her back, people thinking she was too pretty to be that good (but really, she didn't care, because she was, in fact, just that good), higher-ups not taking her seriously. Worked wonders when going undercover though. Oh well, as she usually laughed, one could not get it all.

She'd been young when she was orphaned. Her father died when she was seven – memories of him still lingered, few but precious. And her mother; her beloved, dear mother, had died of an aggressive cancer when she was nine. All alone in the world, no close relatives, grandparents dead, parents without siblings, she was placed in foster care. She was lucky, that she was, because she got to stay with the Harkness family, where she met Jack. She was ten, he was twenty and no longer lived at home, but his parents missed something and had taken her in. She adored him with all the fire and adoration of a child, and he was her hero. They loved each other, as simply as that. He called her his English Rose, and she'd laugh at that and slap him playfully on the arm. When he was just a few years past twenty, he started to work for the Torchwood agency. They did all sort of things, secret agent things, he had told her with a wink. And she had joined him there. Of course, first time she said she wanted to work there too, he had just laughed, she was but a child then. Instead of being offended, she had worked on her own; she had taken material arts classes, and worked hard on her other skills, language and such. And she had gotten there, young as she was; she was clever, resourceful and stubborn. No one knew about her connection to Jack though, they'd agreed to keep it a secret, didn't want people to speak of favouritism of any kind, and it was for their own safety too, in a way. To keep ones personal life private and secret, so that the one closest could not be used in any way.

It was a random, grey Tuesday in April and Rose really, really wished her break would come soon. She glanced at the big clock on the wall and nope, one hour and a half to go. She silently sighed. Working undercover could be exciting and thrilling with constant rushes of adrenaline, or just plain old boring, like now. She worked at a café in a small town outside of London, keeping eyes out for a certain criminal who frequented the café – sometimes not alone. She was supposed not to get involved, just watch, maybe listen if the possibility arose, and take notes of the people he met. She knew the job was important, and that she had been chosen because of the fact that she did not look like an agent of some kind, she rather looked like a young girl just out of school, working her first job, eager to do her best. In all honesty, she did not mind working at the café, it was mostly a rather relaxed job and the regulars were a bunch of sweethearts – at least most of them. What she did miss though, was working out and people she knew. Jogging and some workout in the apartment she currently stayed in just wasn't the same as the gym at Torchwood. Now she didn't have many friends, but she did miss her best friend Martha terribly. She was a medical student, on her way to become a full-fledged doctor, very devoted to her studies, and Rose always encouraged her. She wasn't really fond of Marthas' family, her mother and sister was a bit too snobby for Roses taste, but still, one only has one pair of parents. And she missed Jack, him grinning wickedly at her, joking and telling the most outrageous stories. And she missed Jacks parents – Frank and Alice – and she even missed Mickey, Marthas' boyfriend. She missed her own apartment too, and her little garden, her own bed. Sure, Rose loved to travel all around Britain – or the world really - but once in a while she enjoyed being at that place she was able to call home, just recharging in her comfort zone. She shook her head and started to sweep the floor. The criminal she was watching (Mr Pierce, if that was his real name or not, she wasn't sure and she wasn't very interested to know either) usually visited the café on Tuesdays so she'd better be mentally prepared to take notes, since writing on a paper with him there would have been a tad bit too obvious and suspicious. Very suspicious. She slowly but carefully swept the floor, it wasn't really necessary at the moment but it was something to do and at least she looked a bit busier if someone entered. Quietly humming to a song playing on the radio, she cleaned some of the tables a little extra, puffed up some of the pillows on the armchairs in the corners, and changed flowers on one of the tables before she was satisfied with her work. Then she went to the bathroom, washed her hands carefully and let her long, blonde hair loose for a little while, shaking her head before she re-did her high ponytail. She watched her image in the mirror and grinned at herself before she walked back to the counter, waiting for customers to arrive.

Lunchtime was the busiest time of the day, and Rose, quite frankly, enjoyed that time the most. Work became hectic and she didn't have time to ponder, no, she had to work and she liked that. But of course, her target had arrived in the middle of the rush. Luckily he seemed to be alone today, drinking his coffee and reading the newspaper like he was just another guy next door – he certainly did have the looks for it. Blue eyes, short and dark blonde hair, medium height, medium build, he simply looked like anyone. "_Appearances are deceiving_," she thought with a mental snort. You quickly learned that in her line of work, or you didn't last long. The flow of people slowly died down, the worst rush was over, when the bell happily chimed and the door opened for yet another customer. She did not look up, but placed some newly made sandwiches in the bakery counter. And then she rose up, and looked to her right with a friendly smile in place. And lazily Jack strode towards her, confidence high, as if he owned the place – with that air of arrogance that only he could pull of that well. Rose did not react externally, but her mind reeled. Jack was here – not alone, she registered somewhere in the back of her mind – and he knew she was on a mission, they did, after all, talk with each other – and that must mean that he was on a mission too. So she just smiled at him and he smiled back, a sparkle in his blue eyes.

"Good afternoon and welcome sir, what can I get you today?" She cheerfully asked him as he leaned over the counter, chin in hand, and he winked at her.

"How 'bout your number, darlin'?" He answered with a cocky grin and tilted his head with that Don Juan-smile in perfect place.

"Hmm.. I'll think about it. Maybe, if you're lucky" she said with a teasing smile.

"Aww, what do you want a poor bloke to do? I could recite poems for you! _Shall I compare thee to a summer's day…?_" Here he was rudely interrupted by his companion who – not so very gently – slapped his shoulder.

"Just order something already!" He said gruffly. Rose looked at Jacks company for the first time and evaluated him quickly in her head. Male, older than Jacks thirty-two but not yet forty, short, cropped dark hair, icy and piercing blue eyes, slightly taller than Jack but muscular, and according to his accent he hailed from the north. Sharp features, a rather large nose, a not so very happy look on his face. This could've been an assignment for Jack, but the simple sentence he'd told her was enough for her to know that this man worked with Jack, undercover, and wasn't Jacks target for the mission. Rose and Jack hade a secret language, sort of. It was more like codes, to use when undercover, in case they met each other and could communicate. It was their secret, and no one needed to know about it. That Shakespearean phrase told her that he was undercover, and in company with whoever accompanied him.

"Fine fine, you spoilsport" Jack laughed merrily. "I'll have coffee and a piece of that delicious-looking blueberry pie."

"Right away!" Rose poured him a cup of coffee and cut him a slice of the pie, and shot him a flirty smile as he paid for the snack. He winked at her as he sauntered away and sat down at the same table that Mr Pierce was sitting. Ah, so he somehow had the same target as her. Her mission was the observers, he got the mission with a bit more action, it seemed. Rose wasn't bothered by it, Jack was her senior after all – he had a great deal more experience than her. He probably got this mission recently, perhaps her observations and the information she sent to HQ had been helping. She hoped so, knowing that her notes helped was a good feeling. She turned her head and smiled at the man with the gruff northern voice, and he eyed her carefully, like he suspected something. And then, under his icy stare, she felt a slight tension build up in her abdomen, and heat rising slightly in her face. "_What the hell?!"_ She thought, almost in panic. She shifted her weight from her right foot to her left, trying to ignore the feeling she wasn't all too familiar with. Sure enough, Rose wasn't all that innocent, she had had boyfriends – a few – but it was so rare for her to be attracted to someone, only really happened once in a blue moon. And she'd only been with guys her own age, not someone this much older than her.

"I'll have tea," he interrupted her thinking, "something strong will be fine. Hm... Got something edible with bananas?" His facial expression changed a little, he actually almost smiled at her. The heat inside of her intensified tenfold and she cursed colourfully at that inside of her mind.

"You're in luck, we do actually have a cake with bananas," she said without showing her inner turmoil, and she kept smiling as she fetched a cup and made him some tea – earl grey – and took a plate with a fresh banana cake and placed it in front of him. He silently paid and thanked her before he joined Jack and Mr Pierce at the table in the corner. Not willing to keep dwelling on that man and her deceitful body's reaction, she shut her mind off and went for a cloth, and started to polish the counter with a venegeance.

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**There, first chapter done. And I wanted some space here and there but alas, the editor does not like me.**  
**Hope you enjoyed it =)**

/_Lady Tisala_


	2. Chapter 2

**Here comes chapter two! I wanted to post this a little earlier but my friend who helps me (is kinda like my beta I suppose) has been ill.**  
**Oh, thank you for the lovely the reviews, they made me extremely happy and a little giddy ^^**

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**Chapter Two**

_Wishing you were somehow here again_  
_Wishing you were somehow near_  
_Sometimes it seemed if I just dreamed_  
_Somehow you would be here_

_Wishing I could hear your voice again_  
_Knowing that I never would_  
_Dreaming of you won't help me to do_  
_All that you dreamed I could_

**_Phantom of the Opera - Wishing You Were Som_ehow Here Again**

At 4:15 PM, Rose locked the door to the café, her job for today done. Luckily the owner fixed with the cash so she didn't need to bother with that, because there was always a risk of getting robbed – and even though she knew that whoever was stupid enough to attack her would be severely crippled if they tried – her boss did not know that, and she wasn't into enlightening him on the subject either. The sun had decided to shine a bit, so the weather was a bit nicer, which she was very grateful for. She put the keys in the pocket of her pink jacket, put on her black gloves and breathed in the fresh, English spring air. The day had been grey for starters, but now it was a beautiful afternoon, still a bit chilly but beautiful nonetheless. She stood there, breathing in and just feeling the sun on her face as she could feel, and see, people moving past her in the corner of her eye. Sometimes, she just liked to stand still and feel everything, people living their lives, walking past, talking on phone, young couples walking hand in hand, laughing, kissing, just… everything. Roses' job was that of an observer, and this translated into her everyday life. Or maybe it was because of her everyday life that she was an observer? Hard to tell, they blended together so very well.

Walking down the street, she navigated between people, people that, just as her, ended their working day at 4PM. She set course to a store on the corner of the main street and went inside when another customer opened the door to get out. A cascade of colours and smells washed over her, in a strangely soothing way. She smiled and hummed to herself as she picked out a gorgeous bouquet of blood-red roses. Delicately she touched the velvet petals as she headed to the counter to pay for them. The owner of the flower shop was a happy and bubbly woman from Latin American, who chirped about this and that with her customers, asked Rose about her day at work as she wrapped the flowers to protect them from the cold. Rose was rather impressed by her; the skills she had with her customers made them return over and over again and made her little flower shop very popular. Rose laughed, told her that it actually had been a good day, not too much people and yes, she was very happy that the sun decided to grace them with their presence just as she quit for the day. Nonsense talk that shopkeepers had perfected over the years, and Rose was still impressed by it. It was a handy skill to have, after all. She smiled when she exited the store and once again was swept away by the stream of people in the streets. Her stride was long and sure, walking past shops, crossing a street and turning left, getting out of the small, busy city core. Silence came over her, only to be broken by lovestruck birds serenading each other, and a chilly wind gently touching her cheeks. As a matter of fact, Rose had been born in this small suburban London town, and spent her first years here. This place was her home-town, but not her home any more, memories were bitter-sweet. Even so, she always came here a few times a year, having a mission in this town was an added bonus, since this was one of the days she always came here. If she didn't know that Jack had a mission, she'd suspect him of passing by just to give her some mental support, it was just something he would do, and she loved him for it. Her brother in all but blood, in all other ways that was important. She was fiercely proud of him and his work, and that was partly why they kept their relation a secret. _"You're my kryptonite,"_ he'd said once, lovingly teasing. Meaning that she was a weak spot for him, his strength and weakness, both at the same time. Someone that, like his parents, could be used against him if something happened. The secret part was mostly her idea, he didn't like it at first but she was stubborn and refused to bend so he went with her plan, even though he insisted that he was proud of her and this would not change the way he acted. And this she knew was the truth. Jack was flighty, flirty, a tease and not hard for anyone to get in bed – guy or girl didn't really matter to him – but he was loyal to a fault, and he was her rock and had been since she was ten years old.

She opened the gate with a slow, deliberate move, and the old metal gate screeched in protest. The groundskeeper still hadn't oiled it then, she noticed with a smile. She moved the bouquet to her other arm as she closed the gate, that screeched loudly once again. Then Rose walked forward, taking in the lovely weather, and thinking about the last time she was there. It was a while ago after all. She kept on walking until she reached her destination. Carefully, she crouched in front of the black stone. She removed her gloves and tenderly, lovingly traced the names on the gravestone._ Pete Tyler and his beloved wife Jacqueline. Dearly loved and forever missed. May Angels lead you home_. Rose placed the roses in front of the grave and kept on tracing their names with her fingers.

"Hey Mum… Dad. I still miss you guys. Still wondering how my life would've been if you still were here. How would I be different? Would we still be living here, or would one of your marvellous ideas have gotten us anywhere, Dad?" She chuckled a bit at this. "I know I've been lucky though, and mostly I'm actually rather happy. I'm quite sure that's what you wanted for me, since the two of you were so very happy together, and I do remember the two of you talking about happiness with me. I was a kid, but I do remember, and I hold your words close to my heart."

After talking to her mother and fathers' grave a while about nothing and everything, she rose from her hunching position and slowly traced the golden script that told her parents' name one last time. She kept looking down, not really thinking about anything more than the semi-hollow feeling in her chest. Rose sighed and stretched her neck a bit, and then she noticed the man sitting on the bench about 60 feet from her, clad in leather jacket and jeans. Oh God, it was him, the guy from the café. What the heck was he doing there?! She quickly glanced around and saw Jack, quite a distance away, talking with someone. Mr Pierce, would be her guess. Oh great, just her luck. And it was then that Jacks friend (or was he?) noticed her. Even with the distance, she could see his icy eyes narrow and his face getting a suspicious look_. "I'll just pretend not to have seen him, I'll go with that."_ So she ran her hand through her hair, placed a kiss on her fingertips before she touched the gravestone one last time. Rose hadn't looked straight at him, so she was quite sure that he didn't know that she was aware of his penetrating gaze, the one that still lingered on her. She couldn't for the life of her figure out why. It couldn't be because of Jack, because Jack… well, he was Jack and flirted with pretty much everything and everyone, she knew that missions didn't stop him from trying to get laid. Him flirting with a café girl shouldn't be that suspicious. Maybe that man was just paranoid. She glanced down to the grave, a serene smile ghosted across her beautiful face before she set her sight on the gate where she had entered the cemetery. Time to get moving, hopefully without interrupting Jack. He would never blame her if she screwed up whatever he was doing, but she could not forgive herself easily – and not to mention it would look bad in her resume, for sure. She mentally snickered at the thought. Then she started to walk away from the grave, careful not to look towards Jacks location, nor the other way, at the man still sitting at the bench and _still_ observing her. Pretending she didn't see him would be stupid, not to mention weird, something an ordinary person wouldn't do, unless to make a point and wordlessly tell the other party 'I am ignoring you' or something similar. So she settled for just walking past, maybe a nod or so as she passed him. That was reasonable, polite and nothing out of the ordinary. But as she kept walking, he rose from the bench. _"Crap."_She didn't react, just kept on walking, but her senses were tingling and blood pounded hard in her ears, making her erratic pulse almost the only thing she could hear. She scolded herself and her treacherous body for its reaction. That man wasn't a target or an enemy – she hoped. If he'd been a target, then it would be natural that she was alert and ready, ready for fight or flight. Silly, stupid hormones, making her feel just… odd, out of place. And stupid criminals and agents making the cemetery a meeting place today of all days. As she walked closer to him, she looked up at him, nodded slightly and smiled a bit as a greeting without words. But he stood in front of her, slightly turned away, she knew that pose. It was a relaxed pose, his face towards her but his body slightly turned away – it was a great way to not seem too intimidating and straight on. If he had just stood there, body turned all the way towards her, it would have been a confrontational pose (arms crossed would have been icing on the cake for that pose). Yeah, Rose decided, this man was definitely an agent like her and Jack. She had had training in body language and so had he, it seemed.  
"I'm sorry for your loss," he startled her by opening his mouth and actually talk. "Is it a recent loss?" His voice was deep, and slightly concerned_. "Well, you sure know how to act,"_ she mused. Fight or flight, fight or flight? Not a hard choice. Fight, always.  
"No, not really." She graced him with a small smile. Rose Tyler had never been a coward and would not be this day either. "But it was their wedding day today so… Is your own loss recent?" A polite counter-question, which almost seemed to surprise him.  
"My friend is paying his respects, I am simply his chauffeur." He answered simply.  
"Oh, I see. My condolences to your friend." She widened her smile a tiny bit and he nodded, and moved slightly out her way so that she could pass him. And she swept past him, blood still pounding mercilessly in her ears. Rose focused on walking normally, like she didn't have a single care in the world. And once she exited through the gate, she was sorely tempted to look back at him but she willed herself not to do it, and pleased with her own inner strength, she kept on walking.

It took her about half an hour to reach her current home. It was a lovely townhouse she rented while the family owning it was on a vacation somewhere in Asia. Sure enough, Torchwood paid for it (she still paid for her own apartment, doable rent was not something she'd willingly submit to), but she was the one on the contract for safety measures. Better safe then sorry, in case someone went digging a little too deep. Rose wouldn't mid owning a house like this one day. Because it was a house, a real one, – with a garden – not an apartment. Well, she had a garden too, but it just wasn't the same. Less responsibility with an apartment though, and as she worked, maybe it was for the best. But dreaming a bit was always nice. Rose opened the door and went inside, happy that she was inside again, because her feet had begun to get uncomfortably cold. She happily wriggled her toes when she got out of her boots. And without thinking much about it, she hung her jacket, and went into the kitchen to make herself some hot, steamy tea, and maybe a sandwich too, she hadn't eaten since lunch after all. She turned on the TV in the living room first, loving the soft background sound in the back of head while she moved around in the kitchen. Rose was a decent chef, but she found it incredibly boring to make food for only one person, hence why she mostly ate something simple when she got home. She allowed herself to dream about Marthas' cooking. That girl could cook! Even Mickey could cook. The two of them together could make the most amazing feast. She mentally drooled and then laughed at herself. If she was lucky, she could have some of their cooking soon, if they didn't visit a restaurant of course. Rose had celebrated (no, not really) her twenty-third birthday just three days ago, and Martha insisted that they celebrate her properly when she was back. It was heart-warming, the way Martha and Mickey cared. Jack cared too, of course, but he was her brother, and family and friends are always slightly different. She hummed happily and dared to send a text message to Martha from her personal phone; _"I think we can have that dinner soon :)"_ was all she wrote, and her friend would ask no more, because she knew about Roses job, and respected that silence about it was an important aspect. However, Martha had a certain clearance from Roses bosses, they thought it was a splendid idea to have a reliable doctor as a friend (or soon-to-be doctor) since they sometimes got into trouble that ended with more or less bloodshed. It was ridiculous, from Roses point of view, but she didn't really care. She had known Martha almost as long as she had known Jack, and trusted her just as much. Getting an okay from her bosses was just a plus, less to worry about than if she hadn't. Sandwiches on a plate and hot, hot tea in a cup in her hand, she kept on humming as she went into the living room, settling down on the sofa, deciding to watch the old BBC version of Pride & Prejudice – the family had left a ton of DVDs, very nice for Rose when she just wanted to relax and just be in the moment. Cuddling down with tea in her hand and a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, she felt rather content as the movie started to play.

_**Bang!**_

Rose woke up, startled, and her hand unconsciously went for the gun she always had under her pillow. Another loud bang from the outside, and she carefully slid down the bed, her naked feet instantly reacting to the cold floor. But she didn't care. Slowly she took her gun, holding it in her right hand as she silently walked across the floor. She entered the living room; the sound came from the door to the garden, not the front door. She hesitated, and again it was a bang on the door. She watched the door suspiciously; the blinds were down so she couldn't see anything. Before she decided on the best course of action, she noticed something. Her mind temporarily stopped working as she stared at the deep red stream of blood that slowly seeped inside from the other side of the door.

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**Now, who's bleedin' on her doorstep?**  
**Until next chapter!**

/_Lady Tisala_


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm on a roll, for the moment. Gotta do my best until I get writer's block again.  
This chapter is a bit shorter then previous ones, sorry.  
****And since I'm not a native english-speaker I might mix British English and American English  
****Sorry for that ^^ (my beta-ish is American so not getting help there, lol)**

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**Chapter Three**

_Workin' hard to get my fill_  
_Everybody wants a thrill_  
_Payin' anything to roll the dice_  
_Just one more time_  
_Some will win_  
_Some will lose_  
_Some were born to sing the blues_  
_Oh, the movie never ends_  
_It goes on and on and on and on_

**Journey - Don't Stop Belivin'**

With heart in her throat, she didn't even notice how cold her bare legs were; she slept in a large, white t-shirt only. The kitchen was dark, but light flowed through the blinds from the streetlights outside; the clock on the wall would have told her it was 2:13AM if she had bothered to look at it. She placed her finger on the trigger, ready to shoot. Her insides were a mess but her hand was steady from years of training. Silently she approached the door, careful not to make a sound. The door in the kitchen wasn't properly isolated, she had been told, and that was why the blood actually found its way inside, making a stark contrast to the white floor. Rose took a strengthening breath, gun steady in her right hand, as she touched the cold window of the door with her free left hand. Possibilities swirled in her head, but if whoever was outside wanted to hurt her, then why bang at the door?

"Who's there?" Her voice was low and clear but loud enough to be heard outside.

"Time travellers. We got a code orange. Burning, bright fucking orange."

Torchwood phrases, other agents. Time travellers were a code for agents currently on the field, most likely working undercover. A code red would mean one (or several) man down. Orange indicated a serious injury. Gun still in her hand, Rose made a decision in a split second, and she opened the door wide. The dim lights from the streetlight on the corner illuminated the kitchen and she had to momentarily squint to be able to see anything else but shadows. And then she saw everything. It was Jack. Her heart clenched so bad that it became an actual psychical pain. Without a word, she put away her gun; she put it on the kitchen table, and as the men entered, shut the door.

"Bedroom, now," she ordered and pointed with her finger.

She went to the bathroom, there she kept her first aid kit, grabbed it and hurried to the hall and took her phone from the bureau her hand trembled ever so slightly when she quickly entered a number that was burned in her mind, pressed 'call' and then put the phone back down again, and headed for the bedroom without looking down at the phone again. Jacks friend – the man with the gruff northern voice – was helping him onto the bed. Rose got on the bed from the other side, and pulled up Jacks bloody sweater so she could see the damage and figure out what to do. It was bleeding so much, her sheets already covered in blood, and so were her hands. It wasn't a gunshot; this was a stab wound, dangerously close to the liver, no wonder he bled so much. She quickly grabbed one of the pillows, tore off the case violently, and used it to put pressure on the wound to stop the haemorrhage. Her right hand putting pressure on the wound, while her left hand ransacked the first aid kit next to her. She quickly found what she was searching for, and tore the package open with her teeth, eyes not leaving Jack for a second. Her left hand trembled ever so slightly as she removed the pillowcase from his stomach, once a light beige colour - now bright red - soaked with blood. Carefully she cleaned the wound and the areas around it with an antiseptic wipe, and then with another one to be safe, before she put pressure on it again, gently but strongly. She searched for his pulse with two fingers, leaving bloody fingerprints on his throat, but she found it, his heart still beating in a slow but steady rhythm. Then Rose gingerly touched first his cheek and then his forehead with the back of her hand. He was warm, slightly feverish but not dangerously so yet.

"Agent Harkness, don't you dare go dying on me!" She snarled at him, her voice angry to hide the fear she felt inside. He slowly forced one eye open, just a little bit, and he tried to smile but it was just a pale ghost of his usual smile.

"Wouldn't dare to die on you darlin' – I'm sure you'd force me back just to beat the living daylights out of me." He tried to joke but his voice was weak and pained, and then he blinked once, as if he tried to remember something. "John..?"

"Here, loverboy. I'm fine." The bed creaked a little when John moved ever so slightly to pat Jacks leg in assurance.

"Ah. I was… worried…" Jacks voice came out painfully slow, like talking was something difficult he hadn't fully mastered.

"Easy, love. The medical team should be here soon," Rose murmured, hoping that nothing would go wrong.

About five hours later, Rose sat at a table in a hospital cafeteria. Face in her hands, hair all over the place, she scrubbed her tired face over and over again. Martha sat at the opposite end of the table, looking worriedly at her. Since she wasn't technically Jacks family, she wasn't allowed to know what happened. Good thing that she had her own little spy in Martha, who was authorized when it came to Torchwood personnel, even though she wasn't a doctor yet. A few doctors were allowed to know about Torchwood and their work, to know more than just the injury of course. Martha placed a warm brown hand on Roses right arm, shaking her gently.

"Jack's fine, he'll live. Alice and Frank are upstairs, and you know they will talk to you when the doctors have had their briefing."

"I know, I know. I'm just…" Rose muttered, continuing to scrub her bleary eyes. Martha just squeezed her arm in a silent reassurance.

Rose shouldn't be allowed to visit Jack, but she wasn't a strict follower of rules, never had been. Since Jack_ wanted_ to see her, and he had almost bled to death in her bed, she deserved to talk with him, she reasoned. The doctors weren't happy with it, but no one was as stubborn as Rose Tyler when things mattered, and Martha vouched for her. _"Ten minutes, max'_" one of the doctors mouthed without saying the words, and Rose nodded compliantly before she pushed the door open and entered the little hospital room. She walked across the floor quietly, towards the bed where Jack laid. She carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, and he opened his blue eyes and smiled at her. At the sight of his familiar, loving smile, Rose started to sob. She reached for him with a shaking hand, touching his face to be sure that he was there, alive and breathing and smiling at her.

"Dealing with arms dealers is not an easy job. Bit dangerous, I'd say," he said before she could say something, and Rose just snorted in response.

"Well yea. According to _this_," she pointed at his stomach, "I'm inclined to agree."

He laughed at that, and for a few moments they just were there, in comfortable silence, her hand now resting on top of his.

"Rosie," he started, but paused at once. She crocked an eyebrow at him and that nickname only he was allowed to use, and he continued: "I'm nosy, we know that." Rose giggled a bit at his confession.

"Always has been, always will be."

"This is how I know that I was supposed to go on another undercover mission once this one was finished – with you, actually." Rose tilted her head, surprised. They had never gone on a mission together.

"Kinda hard now, isn't it?" She said, glancing towards his wound pointedly, and he chuckled.

"Yep. Careless, that's me. However, that wasn't my point."

"You had a point?" She teased, just happy that he was okay. He huffed at that in mocked insult, but his eyes sparkled.

"Well, _obviously_, I'm going to stay a little while," he waved lazily with his left hand, gesturing around the white room.

"Obviously," Rose agreed with the hint of a smile playing on her lips.

"Thing is, I think they'll still send you on the mission. And I think you'll be partnered with John for that one."

"The man with the leather jacket and northern accent," she said slowly, disbelieving.

"That's the one! He's one of my best friends, even though he acts as if he doesn't like me most of the time. It's just how he is. He's… well, not people friendly, so I wanted to give you a heads-up."

Rose moved her left hand from Jack and scrubbed her eyes, and then she groaned loudly, not wanting to believe what he had just said. She fervently hoped that he was wrong. She wanted him to be wrong. But Jack was a sneaky bastard, and deep inside, she was certain he knew what he was talking about. He watched her reaction slightly fascinated.

"Did he do somethin'?"

"No, no. Just… no." And her cheeks grew hotter and then he grinned and he _knew_.

"Cheeky, Rosie! Didn't think he'd be the type you'd fancy. Too old, not pretty enough. I know you like the pretty boys," he grinned wickedly.

"Jack Harkness! I don't just like a pretty face, I like a person!" She hissed at him. "And no, I do not _fancy_ your friend. My hormones do!" She buried her face in her free hand and groaned once again. Jack grew silent and scratched his chin with his free hand.

"As much as I want to – God knows I want to – tease you about this, but it's not good with teasing, considering the upcoming mission and all, which I'll let the bosses tell you about in detail. I just wanted to give you a warning in advance." He softly stroked the outside of her left hand with his thumb, her hand still resting in his larger one. "John's a tough nut to crack. He's bad with women – but then again, I don't think there's a man born who knows what you lot thinks." He chuckled. "His latest relationship ended in disaster – he doesn't talk about it but I'm nosy. Just… don't do anything stupid, alright? I'd hate to hunt him down for hurting my baby sister." The look on his face was unusually tender.

"Thank you. You're a moron but I love you."

"The feeling's mutual." He smiled again, and she hugged him, careful not to hurt him or open the wound again.

With a last wave goodbye, she opened the door to exit, only to bump into someone who was on his way into the room. She stumbled, not stable on her feet, and a strong hand caught her arm to keep her steady. Rose looked up, into the face of John, who looked at her with a puzzled expression. Suddenly she became painfully aware of her messy hair, wrinkly clothes and red, bloodshot eyes. She managed to give him a half smile and thank him, and then she sped away, body burning from the close proximity just seconds ago.

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**Love all your reviews, they keep me going =)**  
**Cheers!**

/ _Lady Tisala_


	4. Chapter 4

**I had a ton if ideas for the mission.**  
**A ton of them. Was very hard to decide on one...**  
**We'll see how it plays out, eh?**

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**Chapter Four**

_It burns _  
_It rips, it hurts _  
_They make you believe your turn_  
_The chance of a lifetime _  
_How does it feel to be alive?_

**In Flames - Leeches**

Two days later, Rose was back in good old London, and her own apartment. Torchwood had sent people to clean up the mess in the house she had rented, and she had quit her temporary job, claiming that a family member had been in an accident as the reason, and yes, she had to leave immediately, and she was very sorry for the inconvenience. Using her most desperate and helpless voice, it had worked fine. The owner even promised to give her a great resume – not that she needed it, but it could always be useful in the future (if she lost her job – which she hoped she wouldn't – or needed another job working undercover). She had gotten a call to come into the office today, and she took the tube, an anonymous person in the London crowd, hurrying to work like everyone else around her. She thought about recent events and upcoming events. Mr Pierce had been arrested so that mission was a closed case, and she suspected that the undercover mission Jack had mentioned was coming, since she had been called to the office so soon after the previous mission. She usually got about four days off after a completed assignment, to recharge and fix whatever needed fixing. And to write reports, of course. The paperwork was never-ending, and as boring as it sounded. Rose stared at her own reflection on the window without really seeing it. Jack wasn't alright, but he would be, and his life wasn't in danger. She had met Frank and Alice and had breakfast with them yesterday, they were as always happy to see her. They were aware of the dangers of the job Jack and Rose had chosen for themselves, and they took it in stride very well. They were always there for her. Rose knew her biological parents would've loved Frank and Alice Harkness, and she did too. Having loving parents, loosing them and getting a new family who loved her just as well, she knew had been very lucky, and made a point to appreciate them. She had seen Martha again, the same day she had met Frank and Alice for breakfast. She and Martha had had lunch during the medical students break, and Rose had told her a little. Not much, of course, but that she had gotten a hint about a new mission, and that she wouldn't go alone on this one. She may also have mentioned that the man she'd probably go with seemed to be slightly bitter, and not a very happy bunny. And that he had a great, great body. Martha had been intrigued, to say the least. Maybe Rose should've been quiet, but hey, all in all she was just a normal girl, talking to her best friend about pretty much everything. Well, not everything, but a lot. Martha, the ever supportive friend, had just said that if Rose ever needed to vent a bit she could always call her during the mission. Yeah, she'd be on a job, but she was a person, and as a person she might need to vent. Rose had happily obliged, even though she had told Martha that she probably wouldn't call, but if anything happened, Martha would be sure to call her. If she had a row with Mickey or anything. She might be on a mission but she still wanted to be available to her best friend. Got to cherish the friendship, it's a two way road after all.

The Torchwood headquarters looked like just another building from the outside. No signs, nothing telling what kind of building it was. Rose entered through the security check with ease, flashing her card and making small-talk with one of the guards, as she always did. She was casually dressed in jeans and a black sweater, and a leather jacket on top of that. She looked confident and sure of herself, which was the opposite of what she was feeling. New missions always made her a bit nervous and excited at the same time, since you never know what you're going to get. Except for this time, she knew who she was getting it with. She didn't want to; she wanted to be alone – or with someone else. Stupid, stupid hormones and body craving… well, lots of things she didn't want to think about for the moment.

Her steps echoed in the empty hallway, no one but her walking there. Quickly she glanced at the watch on her wrist. Ten to nine. She was early, but better early than late when meeting with one of your bosses. She kept walking towards the door at the end, which was the one she was aiming for. It was Mr Millers' office (she always wondered if that was his real name or if he just wanted to be called 'M'). Without hesitation, she raised her hand and politely knocked twice on the door. Mr Millers' voice told her to enter, and she opened the door and did so. She quickly surveyed the room. Mr Miller, a man in his mid fifties, sat in his ordinary chair behind the desk, looking expectantly at her, and she saw John (what was his surname anyway?) sitting in a chair, as Mr Miller gestured at her to take the seat next to John, which she did. Their boss cleared his throat before he started to speak.

"Ahem. I don't think you've met officially," he said, clearly indicating that he knew – of course he knew – that they had seen each other when she had a bloody Jack in her bed. "Agent Tyler – Agent Smith." He nodded.

"A pleasure," Rose said as they shook hands.

"Likewise," he replied shortly, but didn't seem to mean it.

Mr Miller coughed once, before he once again took over the conversation.

"I have a mission for the two of you – no protests," he said quickly and sternly, as John opened his mouth as if to do just that, but then he shut it. "It's an undercover mission. You'll find more information in the files I have here for you," he pointed at two folders on the desk with their names on.

"You," he pointed at John, "are going to be a scientist. God knows with that brain, you can pull it off." Then he turned to look at Rose. "And you…" He took a small breath. "Are going to be his personal assistant. Oh, and fiancé. Here." He tossed her a diamond ring, and him a plain golden one. She caught it automatically, and stared wide-eyed at it. "Now, off you go. Go read those files, the room next is free. Shoo." And so, he dismissed them without another word.

Rose absent-mindedly read the papers, as she sat in a chair in the room they had been told to go to. John Smith sat in the room too, absorbed by the information on the papers. She scanned through them to get an overview of things before she dove deeper into them. Her name on the mission was to be Roseanne Smith – he was to be John Tyler. They had exchanged surnames, and extended her name a bit. They were engaged – she tore her eyes from the papers to stare at the ring she still held in her right hand, before she continued to read. Doctor John Tyler, astrophysicist, with a degree in neurobiology as well. Thirty-seven years old, genius. The two of them had eloped (oh God), he had been working for her father (what the hell, was this a script for a sappy movie?) but her father had disapproved of their relationship so they had ran away together. She was twenty-three years old (since she got to keep her real age, she guessed he did too… so, fourteen years her senior?), had read some occasional courses at university, but she worked as his PA. So basically, he got to be a genius and she got to be a drop-out. Fun, fun. She kept on reading. They were to be stationed at a laboratory in Italy (oh, she'd never been there before) on the lookout for anything suspicious. Basically, it was suspected that at least one of the scientists working there was a traitor, working for a crimelord called the Master (pompous name). It wasn't anything certain, but it was too dangerous to just let it be, it was a high-class, high security laboratory, and if a criminal got a foot in there… Well, someone had to cut it off.

It took a while to read everything, and she had a tight knot in her stomach. Rose wanted to go home. She wanted Jack to be okay and she wished she never had met John Smith. She found him far to fascinating for her own good, and she didn't want to feel like that. She wanted to be able to focus on her job. Yes, that's what she would do. Work. Work, work, work. A huff distracted her from her own mental ramblings, and she looked up from the papers she still held in her hands. John was staring intensely at her, and waves of his disapproval washed over her. He narrowed his eyes.

"No idea what the hell they were thinking, pairing me with a green agent for this kind of mission." His voice was gruffer than usual, eyes still narrowed. Rose almost felt insulted. Almost. Because, compared to him, she was actually pretty green. "I swear, Sarah Jane would've been a better choice…" He abruptly stopped there.

Roses' interest was piqued but she only crooked an eyebrow at him, not saying anything. She knew who Sarah Jane was, of course, she was about Jacks age and a very good agent and… oh. Rose wasn't close with the woman, but she knew that Sarah Jane became single about a month or two earlier, and that she was hurt, that it didn't end peacefully. And Jack had said that John came out of a disastrous relationship… Rose added one thing to another. It wasn't hard, and her quick mind and sharp wit was one of the reasons she got this job at such a young age. John suddenly rose from the chair, heading for the door.

"Let's get this mission over with, so you can return to your loverboy." He snorted. Wait. Did he think that she and Jack…? Ah, of course he did.

"I'm sorry I'm not your ex-girlfriend, _Doctor_ Tyler, but I think I'll manage," she said slowly, her tone short, and it came out a bit more toxic than intended. He snorted again.

"One can only hope, _Miss_ Smith." And with that, he went out and closed the door, leaving her alone in the empty office.

Rose groaned, loudly. She dunked her forehead against the desk. She really, _really_, intensely, wished she'd never met that man.

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**Okay, this chapter wasn't very long, sorry about that!**  
**But it's a setup for the mission at least =)**

/_Lady Tisala_


	5. Chapter 5

**I've been feeling off a few days, and my beta is ill.**  
**Lucky us ^^**  
**Thank you all for the reviews *-***

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**Chapter Five**

_After all of the darkness and sadness, _  
_Still comes happiness,_  
_If I surround myself with positive things,_  
_I'll gain prosperity_

**Destinys Child - Survivor**

The flight to Italy was the next day already. They would be staying at a little cabin not far from the grounds were the laboratory was, a secluded area close to the mountains, almost like a little village with cabins for the scientists and workers. There were no stores or anything there though, but if one travelled about 30minutes by car they'd come to a cosy little Italian village where a few stores could be found. Rose sat in the backseat of a cab, her suitcase in the trunk. She was fiddling with her fingers, and constantly poking the small diamond on the ring she now wore on her left hand. It was a beautiful, sparkling ring. But not one she'd want herself, she'd rather have three small diamonds etched in the ring, not a big one that would be in the way. But oh well, it's not like this was a real engagement-ring for her. Although, there was an inscription in the ring; it said his name – John - and a date, predictably enough, the fourteenth of February, Valentine's Day. So their characters had been engaged for about two months, having gotten engaged on Valentine's Day. Cheesy and a bit predictable. Well, she could work with that. The question was, could he? Rose dug up her phone from her pocket, sending a text to Jack_. "So, from today on I'm engaged to a man who glares at me every chance he gets, and thinks you and I are having some kind of funky affair going on. Wish me luck?"_ She pressed send, and looked out of the car window. The plane would leave at 11AM, still lots of time left, and she would meet John there. She was not looking forward to it. He made her feel small and insignificant, and having worked ages to get to the level of confidence she had now, it was not pleasant to feel like she was sixteen again. Her phone silently beeped, and she opened the new message. _"Only because he knows the woman who can resist my charms isn't born yet :) Take care, doll. I'll miss you."_ She smiled at that, and pressed the phone to her heart for a second, relishing in the happiness of him being alive and being his usual charming self. She could do this. She had to. It was her job, after all. However, if her 'partner' said something derogatory to her, she might need to slap him once or twice. For good measure, of course.

He didn't even say hi, but it wasn't really surprising. They had checked in, both in silence. And now they were on the plane, getting ready for the flight. Rose fidgeted a little, as usual. She wasn't really afraid of flying, but she always felt a bit off before the plane was up and going. John just looked a bit bored, sitting next to her. She had the seat next to the window, and she hadn't travelled in first class before, so it was exciting. She wanted to squeal like a little girl but managed to behave like a responsible adult. She wasn't feeling like one – at least not the responsible part. Her body had steadily reminded her of the fact that she was an adult. Repeatedly. Huffing at herself, John shot her a questing glance and she just smiled back.

For the first half-hour of the flight, he was silent, as so was she. Not a word, Rose wasn't even sure he was breathing – but his eyes were fixed on the seat in front of him, so she guessed he was somewhere far away in his mind. Probably as far away from the current situation as possible, which wasn't good since they were on their way to a mission. In fact, they had started the mission as soon as they had handed over their fake passports, and wore engagement-rings. A ring that burned a hole in the back of her mind. Oh well. Rose decided to be the bigger person and break the silence.

"Should we… uhm… Talk, yeah? Have some common ground? The story alone doesn't make this," she gestured vaguely between them, awkwardly waving her left hand where the ring sparkled, "very believable."

He turned his head and actually looked at her. His expression was blank, those icy blue eyes were carefully guarded. Her own facial expression was honest and earnest. When he didn't immediately answer, she continued.

"Since we didn't get much to work with, I guess we're supposed to… uhm… weave in own in personalities in this? We're supposed to be engaged and the only thing I know about you is you age, and that you like bananas." She flashed him her trademark tongue-between-teeth grin.

He looked startled by her words, as if he had forgotten the banana cake. She hadn't, for sure. John let out the breath she didn't know he was holding, and looked at her again, as if she was something strange – but perhaps to him, she was. His look was thoughtful, and Rose fought the urge to keep on talking. She had said what she meant to say and it was his turn to say something, if this was to be a conversation and not just her talking to herself.

"I think we'll be able to make things up as we go," he shrugged. "But I guess you've got a point. So tell me something that I, as your _fiancé_, should know." His tone became harsher at just that single word. Rose wondered why.

"Well… My favourite colour is pink, I'm a horrible, horrible person before I've had my morning-tea, I read a lot and I hate anything edible that contain nuts."

He actually chuckled. Good God. The butterflies in her stomach swirled around wildly. And then he smiled the ghost of a smile across his face and Rose, once again, cursed her hormones. It had been to long since she had a man in her life and her hormones were driving her mad, telling her just how long it had been.

They enjoyed the rest of the flight in a comfortable silence, exchanging a few words now and then, small pieces of information that would make their story and hopefully their acting better. They'd decided that he would 'play' (Rose wasn't sure how much acting it would be on his part) a gruff, a bit of an anti-social scientist genius, whose only soft spot would be her. He'd not be one for parties but a workaholic. They both agreed that if he was a man who buried himself in his work, chances were that he could catch whoever was treading the line between good and bad in the laboratory. They had the background from their bosses, but filling in the gaps was always good. And she would be the one organizing pretty much everything. Ah, how fortunate that she had learned to do just that.

A man waited for them at the airport, a holding a sign that said 'Dr Tyler & Miss Smith' and Rose mentally prepared herself for the role she was about to totally step into. John had slowly gabbed hold of her hand as they exited the plane, seemingly fully intent to embrace his part of this act. His hand was large, warm and comfortable. She trembled slightly and he had surprised her by reassuringly squeeze her hand. They were led to a large black car, their suitcases being placed in the trunk, as they decided that both of them would sit in the back of the car. Rose sat next to John, her head resting on his shoulder and his arm casually draped around her, fingers playing with her hair. Body language was a very important part of acting, people might not consciously think about it, but if something was off, they certainly would, and Rose and John had agreed that they would have to act like they had a certain level of intimacy. She thought he had been surprised by her observations, and she could feel him relax a little bit because even though she was rather fresh in this job, she wasn't totally stupid, so maybe he wouldn't have to be a one-man-show. But Rose guessed that was how he usually worked. Too bad for him that she was here and they were supposed to be working on this together.

She fell asleep on the way to their cabin, and he woke her softly a few minutes before they would arrive.

"You didn't sleep?"

"Doesn't need much sleep, me." He shrugged.

Rose just hummed in response to that, because the car had stopped, and the driver opened their door. Anxious to see, and to stretch her sore legs, Rose got out of the car after John. It was a beautiful place at the foot of the mountains; a few cabins scattered all around, picture perfect really, under the clear blue Italian sky. Rose took a breath and her eyes, big and excited, took in the sight. John looked down at her, an amused look on his face. Her reaction seemed to warm something within him, if only a little bit, before his eyes became shielded again. He took her hand, and she looked up at him.

"So, what do you think, love?" His tone was loving, and curious. _"Just and act, just an act,"_ Rose mentally repeated before she flashed a huge smile at him, at which he blinked, momentarily stunned.

"Oh, it's lovely, John!"

She took his hand, dragged him after her, perfectly playing the role of a woman in love, starting a new life with her lover.

Their little cabin was gorgeous. The bathroom was large, white and shiny, and the shower enormous, Rose was sure you could fit at least five people there, and all of them could enjoy the shower at the same time. The kitchen was small but well equipped; the living room was small, just a couch, a TV and a bookshelf filled with books. Everything was nice. Well, almost everything, because the bedroom only had one bed. A large one at that, it looked incredibly comfy. Still, it was only one bed. They had thanked the driver, who had nodded cheerfully and telling them goodbye in English with a heavy Italian accent. Left alone, John roamed the cabin, looking for hidden cameras, anything that would record sounds and pretty much any odd electric device. He found none, and seemed relieved at the face that they could be their own selves in the cabin, and Rose was happy that they could talk about their mission in the cabin without being spied on. Of course, someone knew that they were here; working together with Torchwood, but that was probably someone they'd never met. John entered the bedroom, were Rose just had finished putting her clothes in the wardrobe, a scowl on his face.

"Seems to be some kind of party tonight. Found this on kitchen table, here." He handed her a paper and Rose started to read.

Hmm, a party, all scientists gathered, to celebrate an accomplishment of some kind, and welcome several new scientists into their ranks. Dress code, of course. Rose looked up at John, who didn't seem very happy about this turn of events.

"I don't have anything posh enough for this," she said simply

"Me neither," he grumbled. "But the driver said something about a package arriving, I think we got something 'fancy' on the way." His tone was not pleased. Rose laughed, and patted him lightly on the arm.

"Well, you being Mr Anti-social, we should have a good reason to leave early, hmm? Unless we come across something interesting, of course." He looked vaguely happier, but still annoyed.

"Yeah, let's work with that. But I hate suits. Uncomfortable they are."

"I'm sure you'll look dashing. Mind if I shower first?" She didn't wait for an answer, just smiled and went to the bathroom.

Rose silently fumed. She did not like this dress. Not at all. She was in the bedroom, glaring at the long, black dress that had arrived at the same as Johns' tux. It was beautiful, flawless, long and elegant. And a naked back. She did not do that. This dress would show off half her back and that made her feel very, very uncomfortable. But she had searched her wardrobe one, two, three times, and she had nothing remotely as elegant as this. Giving in to the inevitable, she started to change, silently cursing under her breath.

She added the last touch on her make-up, pretty pleased with how she looked. Elegant, sophisticated, but still young and fresh. Yeah, it was a good look, she decided, and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. The dress was marvellous, how did they even know her size? She still didn't like the bare back though; it made her feel self-conscious in a bad way. But she had to suck it up, wasn't anything else to do. She wasn't here as herself anyway, she was undercover, playing a part to get a job done. That thought cheered her up considerably. She probably wouldn't meet the people here again once this mission was over. She slid her hand down the front of the dress one last time, and wiggled her right foot, inspecting the little black sandal that had come with the dress. Somehow, they knew her shoe-size too, of course. Taking a breath, she opened the bedroom door and exited, John standing by the front door, impatiently waiting for her. He wore a black tux and looked oh so very, very edible in that.

"You clean up nice," he offered and she wanted to roll her eyes at the compliment, or the lack of enthusiasm in his voice.

"Thank you, thank you. You look almost decent too. Shall we get this over with?" She smiled a bit.

He opened the door in response, she saw a dark car waiting for them by the road. He made a gesture with his hand, to tell her to go first. Oh, great. Mentally collecting herself and shutting out everything unnecessary, she went through the door. She could feel his eyes on her back when she went past him, and then he closed the door and locked it. His right hand carefully placed on her right shoulder, fingers touching the scar that went from her shoulder to the middle of her back. He looked down at her, a question in his blue eyes, one she did not respond too. Rose just looked back with no emotion at all, before moving to get into the car and get the party over with.

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**Next chapter is the party ~**  
**I'm not sure how do write it but I go with the flow, as usual ;D**

/_Lady Tisala_


	6. Chapter 6

**Here comes next chapter!**  
**My plan was to upload during the weekend, but my beta was without internet.**  
**Even though he just fixes small bugs in my writing and don't have any impact**  
**on the story, still, it feels better to have it looked over before posting.**  
**Onwards!**

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**Chapter Six**

_Tell me I'm not doing right_  
_That I'm diverging inside_  
_Still I'm able to turn days into nights_  
_The best decision of mine_  
_Living to intensify_  
_And to give it more than just one try_

_So what was done is done_  
_I built my life upon_  
_Every breath that I take_  
_There will be no regret_  
_As long as I won't forget_  
_That one decision to make_

**Van Canto - I Am Human**

It took them about an hour or so to reach their destination. It was a large building, probably something the ones that organized the party had hired for the occasion, since the building they would be working in was just about five minutes from the cabins. They exited the car, showed off their ID cards and were allowed inside. There were lots of people there, men and women in fancy clothing, a bar further in, some tables with snacks on, and soft classic music in the background. Roses' hand rested on Johns arm lightly, looking comfortable and sure of herself. That she was a bit nervous wasn't something she would show on the outside, she was in a role, and in a few minutes would, hopefully, feel all good again. A few men and a woman were close when they entered through the glass door, and they had approached and introduced themselves. John had smiled and said that he was 'Dr John Tyler, and this is my fiancée and assistant, Roseanne Smith,' they had all smiled and Rose had winked a bit and insisted that she preferred being called Rose instead of Roseanne, it was such a long name. Rose wasn't fond of mingling, but that was what they decided to do. She had gotten a glass of champagne from a waiter, and she slowly walked around the room, inspecting the painting of the wall. This seemed to be some sort of exhibition hall, perhaps for local artists.

"Oh hello, I haven't seen you before."

Rose turned around from the painting she had been inspecting, and was faced with a man about thirty years or so, handsome, dark haired with brown-green eyes, and a smile currently on his face. His accent told her that he also was British. She smiled back.

"No, I shouldn't think so, just arrived you see. I'm Roseanne Smith, but I go by Rose." She held out her right hand, and he shook it firmly.

"Dr Adam Mitchell. A pleasure to meet you, Rose. I'm a neurobiologist at Volta. How about you?"

Volta Stellare, the Italian word for stellar vault, was the name of the lab they would be working at. It was commonly referred to as 'Volta' by the people working there, at least it said so in the files Rose had read.

"Me? A scientist? Heavens no," she laughed merrily. "I am merely an assistant." Adam looked her up and down, a fire sparkling in his eyes.

"There's noting 'merely' about you, Miss Smith." His grin showed interest and so did his eyes. Even though he was a very handsome man, Rose didn't find him interesting at all. Not compared to a certain northerner…

"There you are!"

A tall, slim and very (extremely) blonde woman sauntered to them, her eyes locked onto Adam. Her hair was curly, eyes blue and sharp, lips red and her walk confident. She reminded Rose of a cat, a cat in a red tight dress. Adam looked at her and smiled happily in a greeting.

"Hello there, Cassandra! I was wondering where you went, I couldn't find you."

The woman in question just smiled mysteriously and laid a hand on Adams arm and laughed a little at the notion that he couldn't find her. Rose interpreted her body language as 'back off, he's not mine and I don't want him, but you can't have him either.' She laughed to herself. Sure, Jack would have had a bet going whether she'd fancy this pretty boy or not if he was there, but he'd loose that bet.

"Rose, this is my colleague Cassandra O'Brien. Cassandra, this is Roseanne Smith, a new assistant."

Cassandra looked Rose up and down and Rose could just feel herself getting degraded to something similar to 'staff' in Cassandras' mind. Unsure if she should be amused or annoyed, Rose returned Cassandras' look.

"I've not seen you before," the tall woman said slowly. "Who do you work with?"

Rose took a sip or her champagne, mirth dancing in her eyes. It was a bad idea to piss of people the first thing you did, so she'd keep her calm, even though this woman irked something within her.

"Ah, we just arrived earlier today; you wouldn't have seen us yet. I'm working with Dr John Tyler." Rose let a sunny smile shine over the two scientists.

"I just met him," the blonde woman observed, to Roses surprise. "He's that tall Brit who doesn't really smile, it seems." Cassandra looked over her shoulder and Rose followed her, and she saw Johns back, a few people between them but no mistaking him. "That's a fine, fine example of a man." Cassandra said with appreciation. Hmm, time to act.

"Oh, don't I know." Rose let out a dreamy sigh and raised her left hand to put a strand of hair back behind her ear.

The sharp eyes of the blonde scientist did not miss the diamond that suddenly gleamed on Roses finger in the dim lights, but she said nothing about it, her eyes just narrowed slightly. Oops. To Rose, it seemed like she had pissed of the other woman nonetheless. But then again, it was probably because Rose was female and really, she couldn't help that. Rose knew Cassandras' type. She was the kind of woman who wanted all the men for herself. It didn't matter if she was interested or not, all men belonged to her and her alone. _"Oh joy,"_ Rose thought. She hoped she wouldn't have too much contact with Cassandra O'Brien; she had a feeling that the other woman could make her mission a lot more complicated by just being there and being, well, annoying.

Adam had been graceful, showing her around and introducing her to people. He had been disappointed when he saw her engagement-ring, but did not let that stop him. His blatant flirting and charming manoeuvres was a little flattering, of course, but his ignorance of her engagement (not real, but he didn't know that) and the way he tried to get her alone, to agree on a lunch or a walk, was getting on her nerves ever so slightly. So she skilfully made him walk the way she wanted without him noticing it. He cheerfully rambled and she did her best to look mildly interested. And then, finally, they walked into John and the small group of people around him talking. He saw her immediately, and smiled a little. She and Adam walked to them, Adam greeting the people he obviously knew, and John stopped talking to an older man with an excuse, and took her right hand in his left. He planted a kiss to her knuckles and Rose felt as her skin was burning where his lips had touched it.

"Having fun, dear?" His voice low and soft and he really, really shouldn't be allowed to talk like that.

"Yes, it's lovely. Dr Mitchell showed me around," she gestured to Adam, "have you met some of your new colleagues?"

"Quite a few. I'm eager to start working."

"Of course you are. You always are." She smiled.

Then Adam turned to then, and he and John shook hands.

"Dr Adam Mitchell. A pleasure to meet you."

"Dr John Tyler. Thank you for looking after Rose. She gets lost so easily."

"Do not!" She said indignantly and John just chuckled and placed his left hand on her hip, moulding the two of them together.

"Oh, it was my pleasure," Adam answered, looking a bit out of place.

John politely nodded and introduced Rose to the rest of the men around them, people he would be working with. The elderly gentleman was Dr Hans Jensen, a man from Scandinavia, and he was one of those John would work closest with. He seemed like a nice man, but one could never know. However, John would work with him and could keep a closer eye on him. His assistant though, a younger man named Eric Johnson, would be her job to observe.

They mingled the rest of the evening together, Rose made mental notes on all the assistants she encountered, as well as scientists, but she would work with the other assistants for most parts. The scientists would be Johns' job to keep track of. Most people seemed nice as a first impression, and Rose idly wondered who, or whom, was the spy they were looking for. There was one person she instantly disliked, and that was Cassandra, but that was more a because of her high-and-mighty behaviour than some suspicion on Roses' part. Several women had, in fact, eyed John very closely to Roses' amusement and slight annoyance. And he either didn't see or didn't care – either was good to not put the mission in danger. Unless the traitor was a woman, then he'd probably know more if he let loose a bit. But Rose had a nagging suspicion that John would refuse, and that was probably for the best, concerning their disguises. The fact that she kind of wanted him for herself wasn't important. Nope, not at all.

Since they would start working the day after, they did not stay for too long. Their car left at 11PM, so they would be back in the cabin around midnight. Many others were leaving at the same time, obviously thinking the same. Even though it would be Sunday, many still worked in shifts, some had weekends off, some had days off in the middle of the week instead. And John had declined to have the Sunday off, insisting that he preferred to start as soon as possible and taking time off later. Alas, getting to work on the mission as much as possible as soon as possible was what they wanted.

They did not talk in the car, and the soft engine humming made Rose drowsy. She relaxed and dozed off during the ride back to the cabin, but was awake again just as the car parked outside the little village of cabins. They walked to their cabin (number 14) in silence. As a gentleman (and the one with the key, since she had no pockets) he opened the door for her, and she entered the cabin.

"I'm gonna get some tea before bed, you want some?"

She didn't wait for an answer as she went into the small kitchen, and started to boil some water as she fetched two mugs from the cupboard; quite sure that he would want some too. Rose felt him move behind her, and suddenly he was behind her, his right index finger trailing across her right shoulder, following the scar down her back, sending shivers down her spine.

"What happened?" He asked, his tone slightly curious.

Rose considered her options. She could ignore him, she could hiss at him and tell him that it wasn't any of his business; she could be open or maybe something in-between. She didn't know him all too well, and couldn't tell which path would be the best to walk to get him to open up as well.

"Knife," she answered simply as she poured hot water into the mugs.

"It's healed well, must've been quite some time ago," he said and took the mug she offered him. Ah, he had probably thought that it was the result of a mission.

"Yeah." She sat down by the small table and he sat down just across her, hands holding the mug but his icy eyes fixed on her. "It's been… Six years I think? No, seven. Yeah, seven years this year."

"You were very young," he mused, his voice thoughtful.

"Sixteen," Rose said with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Young and well, maybe not stupid but… Yeah, maybe stupid is the right word." She laughed.

"We all were, weren't we?" John still looked at her, carefully evaluating.

"Perhaps, but not everyone went bonkers and got an older, abusive git as a boyfriend," Rose said with indifference in her voice. It had been a long time ago after all.

"What happened to him?" This time there was no mistaking the edge in his voice. He obviously didn't enjoy the thought of a girl getting abused.

"Well… " Rose went silent. This wasn't really her thing to tell, was it? She doubted that he'd mind though. "He got assaulted, broke three ribs, his wrist and a leg. Oh, got a broken nose too. He left the country after that." She calmly took a sip at her tea. John looked at her, eyes piercing and his face thoughtful.

"You know who did it… don't you?" He didn't really phrase it as a question.

"Of course," she easily replied. "Before attacking a girl with a knife, you really should look up how proficient her step-brother is in the art of harming others." John snorted at this and Rose took another sip of her tea. Yeah, that was nothing Jack was ashamed of. He'd never been convicted for it though, he had an alibi. Beating up Jimmy Stone and not being found out wasn't hard for him at all. Rose knew though, she had always known, even though she had said nothing about it to the police. She doubted John would be curious enough to check up her 'step-brother' since she and Jack wasn't family on the paper. But he was her brother in heart and soul and that was all that mattered.

They drank the rest of their tea in a soft silence before Rose announced that she was going to sleep, and she went into the bathroom to wash her face, brush her teeth and change into her black pyjamas. She took some time to inspect her own face, but she was really just staring at her own reflection without any thoughts at all. She was happy that she was tired, and probably would fall asleep fast, or sleeping next to John would have been much harder. Rose enjoyed human contact, holding hands, hugs and casual touches. She would have to be careful how she behaved. Oh well, she really needed to sleep to be able to bring out her best game in the hunt for the traitor/spy.

* * *

**I love all your reviews and I read all of them.**  
**I'm not sure if I should answer to each and every one or just say here that I love them?**  
**Questions I will answer, of course ^^**  
**Until next time! (It should be pretty soon!)**

/_Lady Tisala_


	7. Chapter 7

**Happy Valentine's Day!**  
**This chapter was hard to write, not sure why...**  
**I've gotten the question if I'm going to write something**  
**from Johns point of view. I have considered it, but I'm**  
**not sure. It'll be later if I decide to do so.**  
**Now.. off we go ^^**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

_There is a time when a man needs somebody to talk to_  
_Someone to talk to, somebody who'll always be there_  
_All alone, nothin' seemed to matter_  
_So alone, doesn't get much better_  
_Can't explain somethin' that you're feelin'_  
_For the very first time _  
_Then along comes a woman _  
_There's a change in the way that you're feelin' tonight_  
_Then along comes a woman_  
_And you know that it's right _

**Chicago - Along Comes A Woman**

At 8:30AM sharp, they were at Volta Stellare, being shown around the building. It was a huge building, with tons of rooms and even maps here and there on the different floors so you would have a clue to where you were, it seemed easy to get lost. The laboratories were sterile and white, they were shown a few of them, mainly the ones on the second floor, where John would work. Everything was so… white. White and sterile, too clean. And white coats everywhere. Even Rose would have to wear a white coat, she wasn't to happy about that (what's wrong with a more cheerful colour?) but she said nothing about it, because really, it wouldn't make any difference. The ones showing them around were Gordon Lewis and Emma Mueller, they were some kind of authorities and worked with the administrative things at Volta, and seemed happy to welcome a new scientist into the family. Although there were a few other new ones, they would be there later. One at a time, Gordon had said and grinned. It was probably easier not having half a dozen scientists to guide around, it would probably take forever since all of them probably would ask question about pretty much everything. One at a time was probably for the best (and the safest way not to be driven insane by people who were extraordinarily smart, bugging you with questions). Hans Jensen, the man John would be working a lot with, would share a laboratory with him. They inspected it and John had given it his approval, to which the administrators had beamed. Then they were shown their offices. Yes, they actually got one each. The larger one was for John, obviously, and Rose got the room next to it, smaller but still a reasonable size. A desk, a bookshelf, a computer, a large plant on the window ledge. Conveniently, there was a door just between their offices. Might turn out to be useful.

While walking through the white halls of Volta, Rose was reminded of the fact that John actually was a genius, not just pretending to be one. She didn't really understand all of the scientific gibberish he talked with Gordon Lewis, but that didn't make her less impressed. She let her eyes wander, but didn't find anything interesting to see, the walls were white and that was about it. No people either; they were in their offices or labs. She noticed Emma Mueller giving John sly looks. Obviously more women than she found John to be an attractive man. No surprise though, he was fit, very masculine and a genius. Very desirable traits.

"Does he always talk this much?" Emma murmured to Rose, the two of them walking a few steps behind the men.

"He's very passionate about his job," Rose answered with a smile. "He can go on and on forever if he's allowed."

"He's a workaholic then?"

"He is," Rose confirmed. "He's not the kind of man to leave his projects hanging; he wants to do everything at once. He thinks he's so impressive."

"I _am_ that impressive!" John huffed in front of them. Rose just laughed.

The first day was just a warm-up they had been told. The first day was to get to know the place a bit (people often got lost, it seemed) so they knew where they would be working, not all over the building, mainly on the second floor, and first floor sometimes. The cafeteria was there after all, so a little knowledge of the first floor was important. And eating was even more important. Some scientists got so engrossed in their work that they forgot to eat. Seven times, Emma had stated, seven times the ambulance had to come and get a scientist who had promptly fainted in the middle of work. Rose had snickered, and told them that John would be fine, she would force him to eat is she had to and she could be very persuasive. John had hummed in amused affirmation. The administrators had laughed, and told them that they hoped they would enjoy working at Volta Stellare.

"I've hit the jackpot, I think," John said in a low voice when the two of them sat in the cafeteria, drinking coffee (none of them really liked it, but they did not have tea) and eating some chicken with pasta and sauce. Rose looked expectantly at him.

"Yeah, how so?" She asked, and looked around them. There were others there, but the two of them sat in a corner, no one could hear them talk over the pleasant murmur of the others in the cafeteria talking.

"I'm going to work with some people on a virus and vaccines for it. Viruses tend to be… dangerous." He put another sugar in his coffee and stirred.

Rose took another sip (oh god, she really hated coffee) and hummed softly as a response and nodding slowly. He had a point, and he probably knew that (being a genius after all). Viruses would be useful to a criminal – to inject people, poison food or use as a weapon in biological warfare. If the traitor/spy was someone who worked on it, there were many scientists and John would not work with all of them, this might be a lucky shot or they might need to dig elsewhere. Either way, if John made a name of himself he might, might be approached by whoever it was that they were looking for. It wasn't impossible, unless the name you made for yourself was as someone with very high morals and things like that.

"Who will you be working with?" Rose asked. John twirled his fork around his fingers as he answered:

"Hans Jensen, you met him at the party. I'll work mostly with him. Cassandra O'Brien and Adam Mitchell - your fanboy - Giorgio Lazzari and Alexandra Sovány will also be on the project. Did you meet them?"

"Yeah, yeah. I did. Didn't talk with them much though, just a few polite phrases."

"This will be interesting…" John murmured, mirroring Roses own thoughts on the matter.

They did spend some time in their respective offices, getting papers in order and checking so that their usernames and passwords worked so they could get into Voltas database, which was needed for their work. Rose and John had decided that they would use their private laptops in the cabin for digging, searching and doing things that were connected to their _real_ work. They had high security on their laptops, getting into them via the internet was pretty much impossible. And then Rose had some extra things on hers, because Mickey worked within the government with computers. She wasn't totally sure what he was doing, and she wasn't really interested in the technical parts either. But he had checked her computer a few times, security on it was top-notch, so Rose felt safe using it.

The day passed quickly, they learned their way around the first and second floor, made small talk with others and personalised their offices. The day after would be the day they really started working, when they knew a bit more about the place. Rose felt comfortable working with John – mostly. She was comfortable because she had great faith in his skill; he was a professional just like her and took his work serious. He was intelligent and seemed to be good to make up things (or plans) on the go. What she did not like was the nagging feeling that he wouldn't trust her during their mission – trust her as a partner to work with. She would do her best to win his trust, to show him that she was someone he could count on. She was pretty sure she could work with that, at least she hoped so. What did bother her was her own attraction to him. It was… bothering. She felt like she was dancing on an edge, because she was also fascinated by him as a person, and found that when he had his moments, she liked him as a person too. That was even more dangerous. Attraction was one thing; she could handle that, even if it was bothersome. But if it turned into something more, it would probably only end in a catastrophe. Rose knew how to ward her own heart, but sometimes, you just like someone even if you don't want to. But she did not like him. Nope, nope, never ever.

Rose sat at the table in their cabin, laptop on the table and a mug of tea at her right side. Delicious tea, instead of that horrible, horrible coffee they sold at the Volta cafeteria. She was writing on a report she would mail to her superiors, and she was quite sure John was doing the same, but he was at the table by the TV. A first-day report and then once a week, to tell of new discoveries, or just to tell that nothing had happened at all. Rose wrote her report quickly, telling a bit about the people she met, what her work would be and how they planned to proceed (spy on the others discreetly, see if someone would offer John something). After having written her report and sending it, she went to check her email. A new mail from Martha. She opened it to read. Martha wrote that she hoped Rose had a pleasant journey to wherever she was and that the job would be nice and that she hoped that Rose would work with some nice people. Then she wrote a bit about her work, there was a famous heart-surgeon there on a visit and she found it amazing that he was there to give them advice for the future and hold a seminar for them to attend. She also wrote about some new dishes she and Mickey had made and that Rose had to try some of them for the future – not all of them had been nice. She wrote that her car was getting repaired and Mickey had to drive her if the weather was bad and she hoped that she would get her own car back soon. It was a happy chatter, and it warmed Roses heart. She smiled as she answered her mail and asked about the dishes and if the heart-surgeon had given her some good advice, telling her to remind Mickey not to drive like a maniac. She wrote casual things, nothing that would give anything away if someone else than Martha, against all odds, would read the mail. After she sent it, she wrote a short mail to Jack, just a few lines. She asked him how he was, how his parents were, and that she hoped he was feeling better. Just a little mail to tell him that she missed him without saying the actual words.

When darkness fell, Rose sat on a bench outside of their cabin, a mug of tea between her hands, a blanket around her shoulders and fluffy slippers on her feet, stargazing. It was peaceful, silent. She enjoyed the view, the warm tea and just sitting there. Just a few minutes after getting out, John joined her, he also had a mug of tea and his icy eyes watched her, observed her. Rose did not mind, she had nothing to really hide. She moved a bit wordlessly, and he sat down beside her, the two of them stargazing in silence.

"What were you doing at the cemetery that day?" He suddenly asked.

Rose was a bit startled by his question, but she did not look at him, she continued to gaze at the starts, and took a sip of her tea.

"I was saying hi to my parents on their wedding day."

She looked at him now, out of the corner of her eye, and he looked surprised and perhaps a bit ashamed too. Oh. He had not known she was an agent when they met, of course not. And somehow, he thought of her as someone who lies, since she wasn't who he thought she was the first time he saw her. Stupid reasoning that made no sense to her. But she just gave him a friendly pat on the leg and said:

"There's nothing more to me than meets the eye. I'm just me, and I have not told you a single lie. What you think or believe or assume is something else entirely." She smiled, stood up and brushed two fingers over his cheek, just barely touching him, before she went inside and left him sitting there, stars shining brightly over the little village of cabins.

* * *

**After this is done, I'll probably write an AU Rose/Ten fic.**  
**At least I want to. I just gotta come up with a decent plot =P**  
**But that's later, much later, not gonna start while still writing on this one ^^**  
**Love all your reviews!**  
**Until next time ~**

/_Lady Tisala_


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry about the delay!**  
**Life (and writer's block) caught up to me.**  
**This chapter is rather short - mostly because my brain froze**  
**but I think I have some ideas lying in wait now at least =)**  
**Onwards!**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

_Now listen honey_  
_I just want to be beside you everywhere_  
_As long as we're together honey I don't care_  
_Cause you started something_  
_Oh can't you see_  
_Ever since we met you've had a hold on me_  
_It happens to be true_  
_I only want to be with you_  
_No matter what you do_  
_I only want to be with you_

**Volbeat - I Only Wanna Be With You**

A week passed by quickly. It was a rather uneventful week, they spent their days at Volta, working there and trying to dig around discreetly. And the evenings they spent in the cabin, trying to work from there too. Even though they knew that this mission probably would take some time, didn't mean they would just let it come to them, they would do their best to shorten the mission as much as possible, without endangering it of course. A week was nothing; Rose tried to reason with herself. Nothing at all. Normally, she wouldn't care yet. But working this close with someone else was out of the ordinary, and made her jittery. _He_ made her jittery, and by doing nothing, how great is that. Making her feel like that by just existing. And sleeping beside her. And pretending to be a loving fiancé in public. Yeah, she was screwed.

Rose had quickly gotten a friend among the other assistants she mostly worked with. His name was Jake, and he worked as an assistant to Dr Alexandra Sovány, whom John was with on the virus-project. Jake was a gossip – very useful for her. But other than that, she genuinely liked him as a person. He was exuberant, over-the-top, loud and funny. And the fact that he was currently dating another scientist (a male, by the way) made things simpler, and she got to hear even more things, most of them were probably nothing of interest to her mission, but one never knew. Stranger things had happened, so knowing which assistants that slept around and who hated who could maybe be of some use. Maybe.

"I think Dr O'Brien and Dr Mitchell have made a pact," Jake declared as the two of them walked through a corridor, carrying papers that they were going to make copies of.

"Oh, is this something…. juicy?" Rose teased, grinning happily at him and he returned the grin, just as happy.

"Oooh, you bet it is!" He looked her over with a playfully leering look, which made Rose raise an eyebrow curiously. "It seems," he lowered his voice a notch, but it was still a stage-whisper, "that Dr Mitchell really wants to get under your skirt." He eyed her legs meaningfully, and the pink skirt that ended just below her knees. Rose just snorted.

"Well, he's a flirt. Nothing really to take note of."

Rose stuck out her tongue at Jake and he answered in the same manner. She decided that she definitely wanted to introduce Jack to Jake, they would get along splendidly. Sadly that probably wouldn't happen but she could still imagine it. She and John would probably just disappear after they had ended their mission.

"No but seriously," Jake said, "He wants to get under your skirt and Dr O'Brien wants to get into Dr Tylers pants. They're up to something. Maybe nothing big and scary. Maybe they'll just give each other time to try and seduce the two of you." Jake grinned evilly at Rose, who looked surprised.

Then she just huffed and laughed a bit. Were the two of them – Adam Mitchell and Cassandra O'Brien – really that desperate? She had a hard time believing that. Adam was a good-looking bloke after all (meaning: he should be able to find a willing girl), and Cassandra could probably seduce almost any man in the building if she just wanted to have a tumble in the bed. Did they have an ulterior motive for this 'pact'? Or was Jake simply imagining things? She hummed a little. Could be nothing, could be something. Still good to know.

Rose had lunch with Jake that day; John was too engrossed in what he was currently doing to allow himself a break at the moment. Rose didn't buy it, but figured that she could remind him to eat something when they got back to the cabin. They chatted about nothing and everything, the weather, Jake told her some rumours, and they talked about politics in the world and pop music. Jake talked about the man he was seeing – Dr Jeremy Jordan – and Rose found out that he had just been assigned to help John and the others on the virus-project, and Dr Jordan was very excited about it. Another one to keep an eye on then, should be easy with Jake being Jake.

Thinking about it, about an hour later, Rose sat in her office and realized that she wasn't sure who Dr Jeremy Jordan was, so she logged onto Voltas database – the one only available to the personnel – and clicked around to find him, it wasn't hard since all the employees had a little page of their own. Rose scrutinized the picture of a blonde man, he was quite ordinary looking but there was something… She stared at the wide scar that cut his right eyebrow in two. Oh God.

She went in search of John, after having a quick talk with Gordon Lewis, asking for the rest of the day off, saying that she wanted to go into town with John and force him to eat something. Mr Lewis was in a good mood, and had agreed (John was a valuable asset after all, and keeping your scientists happy and healthy was a priority). Walking past door after door, she stopped outside the one that led into the laboratory John and the others used. She knocked twice before she opened the door. Taking a look inside, no one seemed to have noticed her knocking on the door (not really strange, that was why she had opened the door herself instead of waiting for someone to open it) and she saw John talking to Dr Jensen, wildly gesturing with his right hand, and rubbing his neck with his left hand. He had a pair of dark glasses on, and damn, he looked mighty fine wearing those. Rose cleared her throat, quite loudly.

"Excuse me, good sirs, but I am here to steal John for the rest of the day." She strode to him, no hesitation in her steps. He opened his mouth, but she continued before he had a chance. "Nope, no buts! We are going to town," she carefully removed his glasses, "and have a _date_, just the two of us." She looked him over. "You look…" _'Delicious, I want to… Nope, stop right there.'_ "Decent." Rose finished instead. "You've gotten the rest of the day off, so I've decided to get some food into your system." She neatly folded his glasses and put them in his pocket.

"Bossy, isn't she?" She heard Adam murmur somewhere behind them, but his voice was admiring, and maybe even a bit… ew. Nevertheless, she flashed a full-force smile his way.

"Oh, you have no idea," Johns answer came out soundly, in an amused chuckle.

"He loves it." Rose laughed at the looks on the faces of the others and John rolled his eyes.

"How could I not?"

She laughed as she grabbed hold of his hand and went for the door. John waved goodbye to his colleagues as he followed her willingly from the laboratory.

Cars were at their disposal, so they got in one and the driver drove them to the little town. They did not talk during the ride, not more than small tidbits about their day so far. Rose was mostly talking, claiming that the stream of paperwork was never-ending, that the copying machine was her new mortal enemy, and that John really hadn't missed much of the lunch that day, it wasn't something special. It was an act, not fooling anyone but the guy driving them, and the act was for him anyway. One never knew, after all.

They sat outside of a little quaint café, drinking cappuccino (because it's better than coffee and none of them dared to try what the Italians called tea) and none of them said anything for a while, John ate his pasta and Rose munched on a sandwich.

"I've heard that you've got a new face on your team," she finally said. He looked up from his cup and fixed his icy stare at her and she shivered inwardly.

"Mm, yes," he answered after a while between bites of his pasta. "Dr Jeremy Jordan, he's also rather new. How'd you know?"

Rose made an amused sound somewhere deep inside her throat.

"You have absolutely no idea of how gossip-happy many of the assistants are."

At this, John snorted, as if to say that he actually could imagine that. Rose took a sip of her cappuccino, her eyes not leaving him.

"I've seen him before," she said.

His eyes narrowed when she said that. A slight movement in his shoulders, his body tensing ever so slightly. Rose wished she didn't notice things like that; it did funny things to her brain and her insides.

"When?" He then asked. Not where but when, assuming that she had met him on a mission for Torchwood. Which wasn't totally wrong but not right either.

"He doesn't know me," Rose said as a reassurance that their mission was safe. "I've never met him either, but I've been shown."

It was just a second, a short second when he looked like he was thinking about the meaning of her words before he made the connection.

"Jack?"

"Jack," she confirmed.

John snorted like a horse, and Rose hid her smile behind her cup. Somehow, John and Jack were friends, but John never acted like it. Rose guessed that he didn't really like Jacks way of getting into everyone's trousers – but then again, most people were disturbed by that. Not Rose, though. She was used to Jack and his ways. And if someone said something about him getting into her trousers (it had happened that someone said it) Jack looked positively scandalized. She mentally snickered. 'Yes, she's gorgeous, but she's my _sister!_' She'd heard Jack say more than once. Well, not everyone seemed to believe that Jack could have a non-sexual relation with a female. John certainly didn't seem to think that. Which led her thoughts back to the man in question, sitting across the table.

"He works for Lumic," Rose said and John rubbed his eyes.

Lumic was the Torchwood equivalent in America. Actually, it was another Torchwood branch, and the HQ in America was called Lumic. They were a bit rougher than their British co-workers, and a Lumic agent in Volta meant that someone was sneaking around in secret, since John and Rose had been assigned this mission.

"I don't like this," John muttered, and Rose could do nothing but agreed whole heartedly.

* * *

**In next chapter there will be fancy dresses!**  
**Yes, another party ^^**  
**Until next time!**

/_Lady Tisala_


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello! An update the day after the last one, aren't you lucky =)**  
**This chapter was a breeze to write, actually, so that's why**  
**I posted it already ^^**  
**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

_Days like these lead to _  
_Nights like this lead to_  
_Love like ours_  
_You light the spark in my bonfire heart_  
_People like us we don't need that much_  
_Just someone that starts_  
_Starts the spark in our bonfire hearts_

**James Blunt - Bonfire Heart**

"You're not serious." It wasn't a question, more of a statement and Rose raised an eyebrow at John, her face totally serious (and maybe a tiny bit mischievous) and John groaned, as if something painful had hit him.

"I do agree with you but…" Rose waved a slip of a paper around. "This says otherwise."

"But whyyyy?" He sounded like a whiny child and Rose had to force herself not to show her smile.

"In celebration of some astrological find, it says. An asteroid perhaps? I dunno. I just think they like them fancy dresses."

"Well, I don't."

"Neither do I! Okay, that might be a lie. I do like them. On occasion. And with some time between uses."

John started laughing and Rose felt her cheeks burn. _Men_.

Rose spent an afternoon in town with Jake, buying a dress for yet another party. Jake was marvellous company, and an eager companion. If he hadn't been with her, Rose would have settled for something decent quite early, but he was determined for her to have something outstanding. 'To make you the envy of all women and the longing for all of the men' he had said. Rose had insisted that it wasn't necessary; she was happily engaged and did not need the attention of other men. Jake didn't care, just told her to humour him. So she did, and even though the thought of having a trail of love struck suitors at her heels was somewhat amusing, it was not something she thought would be fun in reality. But she did want a dress to knock John of his feet… So she did humour Jake with that in mind.

The party was held the day after, not in the same building as last time, but at Volta. Evidently, the basement (if it could even be called a basement) was a big ballroom-type room. Somehow, Rose wasn't really surprised. Because it was obvious that they loved to throw a good party or two, so what's better than having a perfect space in the building for it when they were too lazy (or cheap) to hire something else? She wondered if a party-room had been a requirement when they built the place.

Just like last time, Rose chased John out of the bedroom when she wanted to fix herself. This time, she made a loose bun of her long hair, with some strands framing in her face. She went easy on the make-up on her eyes, just using some mascara. She finished the look with a ruby-red lipstick, quite content with result. And the dress, oooh, the dress. It was gorgeous, golden and slimmed to hug all of her curves in a very flattering way. It had a bit of cleavage but not too much, the slit went halfway up her tights to show some skin. She had thought it a bit too much, but Jake had insisted, she'd get that dress or he'd make her go dressed in a sack and ashes. She did not believe him, but she had fallen in love with the dress anyway, so she bought it. She used a bit of perfume, a light one with a tinge of citrus and vanilla, and a simple silver bracelet, with a matching pair of silver earrings. Her shoes were white and simple. Overall, she felt pretty damn good, and looked it too. Giving herself a last look in the mirror, she deemed herself to be done, and she opened the bedroom door, and took a deep breath before she headed for the door, certain that John was waiting there, just like last time. And he was. She was on the edge, but made an effort to look like nothing, to be able to see his reaction and he did not disappoint her. He looked at her, up and down; she could feel his eyes tracing her from her legs and up, stopping at her face. There was no mistaking the sudden desire written all over him and Rose shivered. It only lasted a few seconds before he got his face under control, and he bowed to her, holding out his hand to take hers.

"I believe I will be escorting the most beautiful woman tonight." His smile was small but soft and earnest and Rose felt her heart clench and her cheeks burn slightly, but she smiled back at him, beaming at his words. He took her hand in his, and turned it over and placed a soft kiss on her wrist. She was sure he could feel her heart beating rapidly, her pulse increasing.

"Thank you," she softly replied, still smiling and he smiled back at her, giving her the coat she used, before leading her out of the cabin, they would be walking to Volta since it was just a few minutes away. She wasn't sure if he was aware of it or not, but he held her hand the whole way, and she realised that this was more than just a psychical need. She had actually fallen in love with him. When did that happen?

They were greeted with glasses of champagne when they entered the basement and the party-room. Soft music was on and some people were dancing, others were talking. John had let go of her hand when she took of her coat, and he looked confusedly at his hand, maybe he just remembered that they had held hands the whole way - just a few minutes but still. Rose spotted Adam Mitchell out of the corner of her eye, he practically undressed her with his eyes and she could see him moving towards her, so she spun around, pretending not to have seen him, and took a hold of John's hand.

"Save me," she said simply, and John looked over her head and saw Adam moving their way. He looked mildly surprised at first, as if he had expected her to be thrilled. Which she clearly wasn't, since she played the damsel in distress and asked for help.

He circled her waist and led her away, towards the dance floor. She placed one hand on his shoulder, and they softly swayed to the music in sync with each other. Rose placed her head against his other shoulder, feeling the steady rhythm of his heart against her ear. For a moment, she didn't care about the mission or anything else than the feeling of his hands holding her close, and the soothing sound his heart made, and the masculine small that was all him, and a small hint of eau de cologne he probably had used earlier. She said nothing, and neither did he. Sometimes, words are just not enough, and sometimes just being in the moment is all there is. What was it about this man that drew her in so? Sure, he was handsome but not pretty in any way (she'd always have a weak spot for pretty boys, as Jack had said). He was quite a bit older than her; he could be both rude and unpleasant. But it was those moments in-between that had done her in, she suspected. When he actually smiled at her, and talked with her, and treated her like an equal concerning the mission. That was probably hard for him to do, she could tell, and she was probably right in her earlier suspicion that he mostly worked alone, the mission when he worked with Jack and she had seen him for the first time was probably one of the few times he worked with someone else. He was a man with a past, just like everyone else. But she wasn't interested in everyone else. She shouldn't be interested in him either for that matter; she was not a sucker for unrequited feelings. When this mission was over with, maybe she could find someone at home to be a distraction from thinking about John – she doubted that she'd see much of him once they were back in London. She was sure that he found her attractive, but that was about it, and Rose was not into casual flings, not really. But maybe she'd indulge in one once they got back to their homeland. Maybe.

About half an hour later, Rose stood by a table, drinking her first glass of champagne and munching on some snacks. She had been talking to Jake, but had not seen his date, the elusive Jeremy Jordan. He was off somewhere talking to someone, according to Jake. Which, quite frankly, was a bit annoying, because Rose really wanted to meet the man and deduce for herself if he was a threat or not, and what he was doing there under the radar of Torchwood. She was so immersed in her own thoughts that she did not notice Adam coming up to her before he actually spoke.

"What do you see in him anyway? You're so very beautiful; you shouldn't need to settle for an old man like that."

His voice was curious and honest, but sultry and seductive at the same time. The way he looked at her told her that he fancied himself a much better choice of a man for her. Rose was quite sure that his voice, telling many untold promises of pleasure, had made many women fall his way. If she didn't find him oh so very annoying, she might have been a little affected. But as things were, she wasn't. She took a sip of her champagne.

"You're very kind in your thoughtfulness, Dr Mitchell." She took another sip. "But I assure you that I've never ever 'settled' for a man."

Hm, maybe that was the wrong thing to say. He did suddenly look a lot happier, like he'd won a prize or found something out of the ordinary. Of course he'd misinterpret her word to his own advantage, thinking that what she had said was that her thing with John was temporary and she was free and not bound to anyone. Fascinating species, men.

"I go for what I want and when I've got it, I'm intent on keeping it." She made a small gesture with her left hand on purpose, making the diamond ring shimmer in the light. "I don't 'settle.' Why should I? Why be happy with second best? Nah, I don't settle for what I don't really want. I play for keeps."

And then she was saved by Jake, who confidently sassed by them, claiming that he had looked _everywhere _for her and that he wanted to dance, and he dragged her away, not that she protested very much. Instead, she promised him to buy him lunch someday as a thank-you-for-saving-me since she doubted he'd want a kiss as a reward. He just winked ridiculously at her, grinning and had a look that said 'I told you so' written all over his face.

After the dance with Jake, it took Rose a few minutes to find John. He was off to one side, a bit from everyone else, talking to a dark-haired man. Rose recognised him as the Italian scientist of his team. He bowed to her slightly, a smirk playing on his face.

"John needed some saving, but now that you're here, I should get back to my date." He waved a goodbye and then he disappeared off to the dance floor. Rose looked at John, a bit confused.

"I don't get what that woman's problem is, I don't." He grumbled, clearly annoyed.

"Have you tried saying no?" Rose asked, amused. "A straight answer might do the trick." And he was the king of evasiveness, she had learned. He looked mildly surprised, so Rose laughed. "Try that next time, yeah?"

"I just might do just that." He grunted.

"I don't think Cassandra is used to a 'no,'" Rose observed.

"How'd you know it was her?" The evident surprise in his voice made her roll her eyes at him.

"Really, John? I've had her lapdog drooling all over me, so of course she went for you."

His icy eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of the other man, as if he was jealous. Wistful thinking, Rose mused. But she'd not mind him playing the jealous fiancé. It would make things easier. Part of her was tempted to ask him to talk with Adam to leave her alone, but she would never ask that of him. It would be humiliating, and she didn't need it anyway. She could take care of herself, Adam wasn't really dangerous, just annoying the hell out of her.

"We should take a look," Rose said after a few minutes in silence, and John crooked his eyebrow at her.

"Go on…" He prompted.

"In your lab," she clarified. "I think I saw Dr Jordan leave a little while ago." John grinned that happy, maniac grin that she so adored. He held out his hand, and she took it without hesitation.

"Shall we then?"

"Indeed we shall."

There was no one around when they silently made their way to the laboratory, the halls were eerie silent and the moonlight from outside painted the white walls a pale blue colour. John had a key, and he slid it into the lock with ease, and opened the door under silence, the door made no sound at all. Without saying anything, John went to the right and Rose to the left. The first thing she noticed was the copying machine, it was turned off but she touched it, and it was still warm. Someone had copied something not too long ago. Then something in the bin caught her eye and she sat down and took a strand of paper, turning it around, inspecting it. It was just a tiny piece, so she took a few others from the bin. Someone had shredded these papers, so it was hard to figure out anything, but she saw different names on the papers, something the shredder had missed.

"John," she called silently, and he turned around, facing her, looking ghostly in the blue light. "Someone has copied papers about the scientists on your team, I think." She let the small bits of paper fall through her fingers, back into the bin.

He wrinkled his forehead, but before he could say anything they both heard footsteps in the hallway. Both of them immediately tensed, and Rose rose from her sitting position as silent as she could. An idea flared through her head and she acted on it at once. She put a finger on her lips and strode towards John with purpose. He looked curiously at her, and she whispered:

"Play along, kay?" She dragged him with her towards an empty spot against the wall. "Let's pretend we're… _busy_," she continued and she saw the understanding dawning on him.

She positioned herself with her back against the wall, and raised a leg to place it on an empty chair that was close by. Rose grabbed his hand and placed it on her thigh, and her hand grabbed hold of his shoulder. The footsteps grew closer, and slowed, obviously whoever it was, was going to this laboratory. The sound of a key was heard and Rose stopped thinking. She grabbed Johns tie and dragged his head down to hers before she took a deep, steadying breath and placed her lips upon his. His response did not wait; his hand slowly started stroking her leg and his other hand tangled in her hair. He felt so amazingly good against her that Rose almost, for a second, forgot what brought this one, but then the door opened. They broke away from each other, her lipstick smeared across his mouth and somehow making him look even more inviting. Both of them turned around and saw Cassandra and Adam looking sheepishly at them.

"D'you mind?" John asked politely with a raised eyebrow.

"Darling, I think I've had enough of company for tonight," Rose murmured in a low, slow voice. "How about we continue this at home? Without… interruptions."

Adam was beet red and Cassandra looked uncomfortable, but John just took Roses hand and the two of them swept past the two petrified scientists.

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/_Lady Tisala_


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello!**  
**I've not recieved so many reviews as I did for the last chapter.**  
**Oooh so happy *squeals***  
**You know, reviews are what feeds a writer after all!**  
**Oh, and don't listen to disney songs while trying to**  
**write Nine, it gets weird.**  
**Onwards!**

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**Chapter Ten**

_Lost in this world total stranger_  
_Death by the sword a common danger_  
_You know that everything is not what it seems_  
_March on all night forever searching_  
_Daylight ahead is only lurking_  
_Break through the walls and use the power of your dreams_

**Dragonforce - Once In A Lifetime**

The cold night air hit her hot skin with a vengeance as soon as they exited the building without getting their coats. She shivered ever so slightly in the April air, spring was here but the chilly winter air still lingered; even though London probably would be much colder this time of the year. John had long legs, so Rose almost had to run to keep up with him as they walked in silence towards the cabins. He still held her hand. She wondered if he did it unconsciously, or if he did it on purpose. She suspected the first one. Rose herself very much enjoyed human contact, and maybe John was the same even though he obviously pretended not to be. She desperately wanted to touch her burning lips, still in a daze about what had happened just a few minutes earlier. Well, they had to do something, something that wouldn't raise any suspicions to what they had been doing in reality (snooping around), but she'd be lying if she'd say that she hadn't been enjoying it, because she had. Oh, very much so, probably too much considering why they had been doing it in the first place. She was hot and cold and shivering and yearning, almost so bad that she wanted to beg him to ravish her once they were back in the cabin, but she had a bit more self-respect than that, she was not one to beg. And besides, that would probably ruin the small ground they had gained with each other. It was hard to know what to do, what would be the best. But Rose was quite sure that John wouldn't mention it, more like pretending that nothing had happened, as if it was nothing. And it _was_ nothing. Or more like it _should be_ nothing, just something they had been forced to do for the mission. Roses feelings on the matter was something else entirely, but she had no clue to how he thought or felt, so she decided then and there that she too would pretend like nothing, unless he brought it up (but he wouldn't, she was quite sure of that, if she could read him at all).

They didn't really talk once they got back to the cabin. Rose hurried into the bathroom, intent on just taking a quick shower to wash away the make-up and to collect herself mentally. So she did just that, and grimaced at her own reflection in the mirror as she got into her pyjamas. She felt safe in it, as if it was some kind of armour, though she did not feel as seductive as she had in that lovely golden dress. She exited the bathroom, the floor cold against her bare feet, and she went directly to the bedroom, John was already in there, lying on his side in the bed. She lifted the cover and slid down beside him on the side where she had slept this whole time in Italy. The bed was large – larger than one would expect in a little cabin – so she wasn't really close to him (not that she didn't want to… because she certainly did). She shifted over to lie on her side, facing him but his back was against her, as it usually was, so she just fixed her eyes on his neck, watching his body moved ever so slightly with each breath. Then tension in the muscles in his shoulders told her that he was not yet asleep, even though he pretended to be. Rose sighed and cuddled down deeper in the pillow.

"I wonder if they were following us," she wondered out aloud.

"… It is possible." His answer came after a moment of silence. She still had her eyes on his neck but he didn't turn around.

"What do you think we should do about Jeremy Jordan?" Rose asked then. She could not for the world of it remember his real name, but it was something similar, she was sure of that at least. Jack had just showed her a picture of him when talking about Lumic operatives and some he would work with on a mission about a year ago. Somehow Rose had managed to remember his face.

"Am I the boss of this mission?" He countered her question with one of his own, sounding amused as he did. Rose shrugged a bit, although he couldn't see it, he could probably sense it.

"Well, you're the senior agent after all. Myself, I think we should talk to him."

"Mm, you might be right, you might," he said to her enormous surprise. She had not expected him to agree with her on this one because well, it could be utterly stupid. And dangerous, and all sorts of things like that.

"Or we could forward this to our superiors," she suggested, but she was sure he'd not approve of the idea.

They were supposed to tell them things, but she was sure that they'd either ruin the mission by telling Lumic about Jeremy Jordans' deflection (if it was such, then it would surely ruin things) or they'd try to figure out what he was doing there and probably scare him away, if he was the spy they were looking for. If he was, then talking to him would ruin things too, of course. It was a delicate situation, to say the least. Rose wasn't sure what would be the best. But she had a feeling that John was not the kind of man to ask for any kind of help from his bosses, even if his mission took an unexpected turn. He was more the kind of man to take it in stride and figure something out.

"D'you think so?" John said, interrupting her chain of thoughts.

"Nope!" She replied cheerily. He softly let out an amused chuckle that made her feel warm all over.

"Didn't think you would," he surprised her by saying but did not elaborate on that any further.

Rose wasn't a computer wiz by any means, but she wasn't bad with them either. The morning had come quickly and she had not slept well, so when she awoke the last time she decided to get up. John was still sleeping and she had watched him for a minute or two before getting up from the bed and getting into the kitchen, making herself a nice, warm cup of tea before settling in front of her laptop. She might not be great but she was in fact better than most, and she owed all of those skills to Mickey. He was a computer genius, and his government work was top-class secrets. Rose had been tempted to call him up and ask him to check out Jeremy Jordan, but had decided against it, she did not want to get her friend in trouble. So she snooped around, hacking wasn't something she often did – and certainly not hacking her own workplace, which Lumic was, in a sense – being a Torchwood branch. Lumics homepage and database wasn't an easy nut to crack, but she was skilled and patient and it took her about forty-five minutes to get to where she wanted. And it took about half an hour more for John to wake up and walk out in the kitchen. Rose had just made a new kettle of tea so gestured for him to take some; she was still engrossed in the computer. John made himself a cup of tea, and eyed her warily. She had figured out that he was a man of action and not the kind of man who enjoyed sitting in front of a computer screen. Luckily for him, she had some skills in that department (she made a mental note that this might be one of the reasons why they had been paired together for this mission).

"What are you up to?" He asked while sipping on his tea.

"Oh, just breaking into government protected sites," Rose sing-songed happily.

John raised an eyebrow at her and shook his head, sitting down on the other chair just across the table, still looking at her. What surprised her was that the look on his face said that he believed her, and somehow did not mind what she was doing. How very refreshing.

"James Moore has taken some time off, according to Lumic," Rose said and took a sip of her own tea, her eyes locked with Johns, and he was intensely listening to her.

"That's Jeremy Jordan, then?" His question wasn't really a question, but he still phrased it as one, and Rose nodded in affirmation.

"It is. I've done some digging my mentor would be proud of, and Mr Moore's younger brother seems to be missing. I've dug some more, and he's a recovering heroin addict." Rose tapped the side of her nose thoughtfully. "James Moore is known for being… well, he can be violent, always gets the job done, but he's not known to be gentle. The bosses are at his heels constantly. Such a man would attract the Master, don't you think?"

John nodded and hummed, his eyes were distracted, he was obviously pondering the new information she had given him.

"And the brother is somehow used as bait."

"I would think so at least."

"And I would agree with you. Very well done, Rose." He beamed at her with a huge grin across his handsome face, that rare, maniac grin that made Roses insides go all hot and wibbly-wobbly.

"So… how do we proceed?" She asked, wanting to her his opinion. "Talking could scare him away and we can't be sure that he's the spy. He might be searching for the Master and his brother – if that's the case – or he could be the spy after all..."

John sat down his cup on the table and rubbed his temples, thinking about what she just had said. Rose couldn't help but feeling a tiny bit proud of herself. She had asked the right questions and he seemed to take her seriously, like an agent to another, not as if she was someone he had to drag along, like she had felt from the beginning. Getting a tony approval hadn't really been as hard as she had initially thought, though. John seemed to think that she was serious about her job and that seemed to settle things for him, and she was glad about that. Having to constantly prove herself to him and work on the mission at the same time would have been a little too much even for her.

"I'm not sure," John confessed. "What d'you think?"

Was he actually asking her? Oh yes he was, and his icy blue (and oh so beautiful) eyes watched her, a calculating look on his face. A test, no doubt about that. Or a way to measure her somehow?

"Well," Rose said and stretched her arms behind her, "how about we go along and make something up when it comes to that, yeah?" That was the right answer it seemed, because that adorable grin that was so him lit up his face once again.

"Fantastic."

It would be a beautiful day, Rose could tell. The birds sang in the air, and a soft breeze ruffled her hair as she and John walked to Volta from their cabin. They held hands, again. She wondered once again if he thought anything about it or if it was something that just was. Or if he thought about it as something to solidify the roles they played. Maybe she thought about it too much herself. Yeah, she probably did. But it was hard not to, when she somehow had fallen in love with the man in question, who held her hand and mostly shielded her from the somewhat chilly breeze.

John disappeared into his laboratory at once when they arrived at Volta, and Rose slowly made her way to her office. She hung her coat and then her phone beeped happily in her pocket. It was a text from Jack, the first one she'd gotten since she left for Italy. "_Out of the hospital now, nothing to worry about. Mom and Dad say hi, and give our love to your man ;) xx._" She rolled her eyes. But then again, they had to be like that when on a mission, one never knew who'd find the phone. She'd delete the message but it was a precautionary measure. She put the phone back in her pocket without answering, she might reply later. Rose had just started up her computer when her door burst open and Jake sauntered in with a large grin on his face, his white teeth shining.

"So I head you and Dr Tyler had a bit of fun in the laboratory last night," he said and suggestively waggled his eyebrows so that she had to laugh.

"We tried but got interrupted," she said and managed to keep her face straight even though the laughter bubbled inside of her.

"I want to hear all about it later!" He turned around and said it over his shoulder as he walked out of her office, leaving her to her chores.

Rose chuckled to herself, and then it hit her. Jake! She had had so much on her mind that she totally had forgotten about him and Jeremy Jordan aka James Moore. What was Jakes role in all of this?

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